A medical appliance known as the A-V IMPULSE SYSTEM™ for applying a pumping pressure to various parts of the human body has gained wide popularity and acceptance in the medical field throughout the world in the treatment of certain medical conditions such as post-operative and post-traumatic pain and swelling and pre-operative and post-operative prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis.
Its most common use is by application to the plantar arch of the human foot and to this end the device comprises an inflatable bladder, such as sold and marketed under the trade mark ImPad®, which in use is held in the plantar arch, the bladder being coupled to a control unit which is adapted to pump air under pressure to inflate and deflate the bladder cyclically thereby to apply a special pumping action to the plantar arch which assists in promoting venous blood flow return from the foot to the rest of the body.
The medical appliance as above described may be used and operated in a hospital environment under the supervision of trained staff or by patients themselves in a home environment.
If the hose connections between the bladder and the control unit of the A-V Impulse System™ are not fitted properly or if the bladder itself is defective due to the presence of holes or splits, then of course air will leak from the system and the full benefit of the therapeutic effects of the appliance will not be achieved.
Moreover incorrectly fitted hose connections between the control unit and the bladder cause the control unit at the beginning of a treatment process to emit pulses of air at high velocity which can startle a new, elderly or clinically unsupported patient especially when the device is being used in a home environment.
Consequently particularly in patient groups of this type acceptance of the product can be jeopardised and the benefits of treatment compromised.